This invention relates generally to lighted graphical display means, and more particularly to such means permitting the formation of random light patterns, for the conveyance of information, on a thin opaque cover for a light chamber by the controlled leakage of light through the cover at predetermined locations thereon.
It has long been customary to display information on maps, graphs, scheduling boards, and the like, through the use of color-coded pins and similar markers. In other cases, illuminated markers have been employed for such purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,496 to Schropp involves such display means, and relates to luminous display boards or panels on which information is conveyed by differences in luminosity and/or color between adjacent portions thereof. One of Schropp's embodiments includes a facing sheet mounted on a board which is in turn mounted on a relatively thick backing layer of resilient material. This composite panel structure covers a light chamber, and transparent or transluscent "sign rods" can be forced through it so as to extend into the light chamber and appear as illuminated dots on the facing sheet. Other rods can be employed as "blind" rods, and these are forced only part way through the resilient backing layer of the panel structure so as to remain where positioned without penetrating to the light chamber. The purpose of the blind rods is to confuse those unfamiliar with the manner in which the display board functions as to the information it conveys, because there is no way of distinguishing the blind rods from those rods conveying meaningful information when the light is turned off in the light chamber.
In addition to the Schropp patent, various other patents show the use of transparent markers in such a way as to convey light through rigid light chamber covers for various purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,357 to Lebensfeld discloses a game apparatus having a rigid cover for a light chamber consisting of a peg board backed by a punctured lining pad formed of a plastic or rubber material through which transparent markets are thrust for game playing purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,615 to Meyer discloses a toy for creating illuminated designs in which the front cover for a housing with a light inside is formed from a pair of perforated plates and an intermediate grid, along with a sheet of opaque material such as black construction paper or drawing paper, which is inserted between the grid and the front perforated plate.
There are many CB radio operators throughout the world who take great pride in communicating with one another and keeping track of the locations of the various stations they have been in contact with. Such operators often use a map, for example a map of the United States, for this purpose, and employ colored pins, or the like, to mark the locations of the CB stations they have contacted. Such maps are frequently mounted on some type of board and hung on the walls of CB operators' stations. While it would be desirable to provide such a map with lighted markers because of their unique visual effectiveness and decorative potential, no such thing has been heretofore proposed to our knowledge. None of the illuminated display face assemblies disclosed in the above-mentioned patents would be suitable for use as such a wall map because it would be too bulky, cumbersome and heavy for the purpose, particularly when it is considered that many CB operators are women and children who would have difficulty even lifting the map, much less mounting it on a wall.